This week, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix placed 18th in ESPN’s , compiled from anonymous conversations with various NFL staffers. Indicative, certainly, of league-wide belief that Nix has steps to take entering Year 3: he did finish 26th of 33 qualified quarterbacks in passer rating (87.8) and 28th in yards-per-attempt (6.4) last year, after all. But the mid-tier placement given Nix’s league-leading seven game-winning drives in 2025 and playoff win over Bills star Josh Allen.

Was such a ranking fair? Who knows. Probably a bit low. But we here at The Post are not here to speculate about league-wide hot takes; we �󲹱�����decided to speculate, though, about Broncos-specific hot takes that have been simmering in the back of our minds for an offseason since Denver fell to New England in last year’s AFC Championship.

With that in mind, Broncos beat reporters Parker Gabriel and Luca Evans have assembled individual lists of five sizzling predictions for Denver’s 2026 season (plus one completely off-the-wall take), a couple of short weeks removed from the start of training camp. Time for our own slightly informed think-piece. Let’s dive in.

Disclaimer: We are in no way advocating for these to come true or rooting for these predictions to take place. These are solely opinions and should be viewed as such.

Parker Gabriel’s takes

No. 1. I am less confident in the Broncos making the postseason this year than I was at this time last year.

To be clear, I think the Broncos will make the playoffs and will be surprised if they don’t. But the first-place schedule is no joke. The opening six games are brutal. The stretch run is no joke. Denver has been largely healthy in the regular season since Payton arrived. The changes on defense in both personnel and staff might be a bit underrated. Plus, when a team is so good in one-score games one year, there’s natural wonder about regression the next year. Plus, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson didn’t make the playoff field last year. Teams will beat up on each other, but 10-7 isn’t a sure ticket to the playoffs this fall in the AFC.

No. 2. Que Robinson will finish second on the team in sacks

Part of this, naturally, is because of the uncertainty around Jonathon Cooper’s future as he faces a felony assault charge stemming from June’s domestic violence-related incidents with his former girlfriend. Part of it, though, is because Robinson looks like a true breakout candidate going into his second season. Could Jonah Elliss get to 10 sacks with more playing time? Sure. Might Zach Allen set a new career-high and flirt with double digits? Certainly possible. But Robinson’s explosiveness and his ability to play in any down-and-distance situation make him an intriguing candidate behind clear team sack leader Nik Bonitto.

No. 3. The Broncos won’t trade a player who is slated to have a substantial role this summer, but they should

Nearly every move Denver has made this offseason has been about winning this fall. Certainly, they’ve done some long-range planning in how they structured contract extensions and they opted to let John Franklin-Myers walk even though technically they could have afforded to keep him, but by and large this looks like a team that����ap putting a lot of chips in right now. Makes sense with Bo Nix still on his rookie contract. We also know depth is paramount as seasons grind on. Still, if the Broncos are relatively healthy by the middle of training camp, there’s a decent chance somebody else around the league will want somebody on Denver’s roster. Is that Ben Powers? Riley Moss? Troy Franklin? Jarrett Stidham? The Broncos profited nicely by trading Devaughn Vele last summer. They can afford to do something similar this summer if a team comes calling in a similar fashion, and it’d be good business for the future.

No. 4. The next Broncos assistant to get a head coaching interview is Evan Rothstein and it will happen this winter 

Three Broncos assistant coaches got head coaching interviews this winter: Webb, Joseph and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, so they’re off the board. Rothstein isn’t an on-field coordinator like those three — his title is director of game management and assistant QB coach — but Payton holds him in extremely high regard. He’s instrumental in the building, even if he doesn’t get a ton of public mention by Broncos coaches and staffers. He’ll get some head-coaching buzz and will be a sneaky offensive-coordinator candidate in Denver if Webb gets a head-coaching job.

No. 5. Sam Ehlinger will win the No. 2 quarterback job in training camp 

Stidham has been the No. 2 for each of the past three years and is the favorite to win that job again. Webb, though, was really high on Ehlinger as a free agent last spring and the former Colt and Texas Longhorn impressed coaches in his first season with the Broncos. Let����ap say they’re about even through training camp. Do Payton and Webb carry on with the status quo? Or might a bit of a shakeup — with the possibility that Ehlinger’s mobility might be appealing in a short stint relieving Nix — be in order? In this situation, the Broncos probably keep all three on the 53 unless a trade partner materializes for Stiddy.

And one (crazy) extra: If the Broncos win the Super Bowl, Sean Payton will publicly muse about retirement but find the allure of a potential dynasty too much to pass up

One of the more hilarious nuggets in Seth Wickersham’s opus on the Broncos’ postseason run was Payton saying he wants to outlast NFL commissioner Roger Goodell by at least a year, essentially just so he could say he did. But if Denver wins a Super Bowl, Payton will have little left to prove. His Hall of Fame bona fides will be beyond doubt. There would be a post-Super Bowl Sean McVay-esque ‘will he or won’t he’ period fueled by Payton himself. Ultimately, though, the bet here is he’d decide he was about to win three more in the next four years.

Luca Evans’ takes

No. 1. The Broncos start the season 0-3, Myles Garrett sacks Bo Nix at least twice in Week 3, Sean Payton slowly inserts himself back into play-calling duties, and the Webb-Payton hybrid brain trust rides to a top-10 offensive finish.

Is the 31-year-old Davis Webb built to handle the natural ups and downs of his first full NFL season as a play-caller? Yes, if you ask him. Will the notoriously hyperactive 62-year-old Payton give him the full leeway to work through the bumps, in literally the first time Payton has ever given up play-calling? Hard to see. I keep thinking back to a text I sent former Saints running back Deuce McAllister in February before Webb was officially given the keys, on whether he could actually see Payton making the move.

“Hey Luca nice to meet you,” McAllister wrote back. “Sean’s not giving up play calling.”

Of course, Payton did. That text was still indicative of how tightly the coach has gripped his offense over the years, as central to not only his NFL identity but his identity as a person at large. Payton’s Broncos teams have started the season 0-3, 1-2 and 1-2 in his Denver tenure; these Broncos will now face a healthy Patrick Mahomes at Arrowhead on “Monday Night Football” to start the year, then come home to play a Jacksonville team that outplayed them last season, then play the arguable Super Bowl favorites in the Los Angeles Rams.

In this scenario, I think Payton quietly maneuvers for more play-calling influence after an early-season slump, a combination of tough love and natural acclimation steadies the ship, and a Webb-Payton hybrid attack puts the Broncos back in the playoffs as a middle-ish AFC seed.

No. 2. The Broncos trade Riley Moss by November’s trade deadline, and maybe sooner.

Moss has a near-perfect demeanor as Denver’s CB2 opposite Pat Surtain. But there is a wide set of factors working against his long-term staying power in Denver. Firstly, he’s a proven, productive cornerback who could hit free agency after 2026 and earn a few million more than the Broncos would be willing to pay him. Secondly, the Broncos may need to pick between an extension for him or nickel Ja’Quan McMillian, who’s arguably more valuable to coordinator Vance Joseph’s defensive system. Thirdly, the Broncos have 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron now likely set to compete with Moss at outside cornerback come training camp.

The Broncos are in a tricky spot here. If they start Moss, first-round pick Barron would likely play a reserve, situational role for the second year in a row. If they bench Moss, he will naturally lose trade value over the course of the year. The most logical option for the front office would be to either start Moss with the idea of moving him closer to the deadline or trade him sometime before the start of 2026.

No. 3. Rookie running back Jonah Coleman catches 40-plus passes in 2026. 

This isn’t really that hot of a take. Third-string back Tyler Badie saw 31 targets last season, and Coleman will likely play more than Badie did. He caught a bunch of passes during the Broncos’ summer program and had 31 catches for 354 yards in 12 games at Washington last year. And despite the heavy involvement of RJ Harvey, Payton’s offenses have long featured two running backs in the passing game: think Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles in 2013 (77 and 71 catches, respectively).

No. 4. Que Robinson racks up at least eight sacks. 

Robinson is a high-upside pass-rusher who took time to develop as a rookie and finished with 1.5 sacks combined across the regular season and playoffs. There’s direct precedent here with the name ahead of Robinson on Denver’s depth chart: Nik Bonitto, a high-upside pass-rusher who took time to develop as a rookie and jumped from 1.5 sacks to eight in his second NFL season.

The Broncos already wanted to create more snaps for Robinson in 2026, and now face an uncertain situation at OLB, as starter Jonathon Cooper is facing a felony assault charge in Douglas County District Court that could lead to league discipline. Regardless of how Cooper’s legal process plays out, Robinson will see the field more in his second season and is poised to capitalize on snaps playing alongside Zach Allen and Denver’s interior pass-rushers.

No. 5. Payton convinces Taysom Hill to come out of semi-retirement midseason. 

Payton loves his guys. Hill, a quarterback-turned-���dz���ٳ󾱲Բ���who played a key part in Payton’s offenses late in his time in New Orleans, is one of his guys. He is also currently unsigned, and his NFL career might be over at 35 years old after a season averaging 3.3 yards per offensive touch with the Saints.

At least one interesting name seems to find its way into Payton’s locker room every season with depth necessities, though. Remember Marcedes Lewis last year? I have no idea what role Hill would play, or if he’d even get a snap in 2026. I’m just thinking it’ll happen.

And one crazy extra: Frank Crum accounts for at least three offensive touchdowns.

The world changed on Jan. 17, 2026, the day that reserve tackle Frank Crum became an eligible receiver. Crum’s goal-line touchdown in the Broncos’ wild-card win over the Bills was lost in the immediate emotion of Bo Nix’s season-ending injury, but should not be forgotten.

Payton loves gadget players, and the 6-foot-7-plus Crum is agile and versatile enough to legitimately handle a handful of short-yardage touches. Plus, longtime Payton ally John Morton gave him the idea for that Crum play, and Morton is now back permanently on staff. The cards are perfectly aligned for some Crum-mania.

Assuming Denver makes it through training camp and the preseason relatively healthy, here’s another safe bet: Sean Payton’s starting lineup figures to look an awful lot like the 11 that took the field for the first snap of Week 1 last fall against Tennessee.

There’s always the chance for a rogue opening formation to open offensive coordinator Davis Webb’s tenure as the Broncos’ primary play caller, but overall it����ap possible that the only change will be Jaylen Waddle in place of tight end Lucas Krull.

The other 10, in the form of the same starting offensive line, quarterback Bo Nix, running back J.K. Dobbins, tight end Adam Trautman and wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin all figure to have major roles again this fall for Denver.

There are, of course, twists and turns every summer. Injuries happen over the course of training camp. Last August the Broncos traded a potential starter in receiver Devaughn Vele. Sometimes a young player puts together such a strong camp that he snatches a job clean away from an established veteran.

Overall, though, Payton is betting that returning nearly every major contributor from Denver’s 2025 offense while adding Waddle and installing Webb as the play-caller is enough to elevate the Broncos’ offense away from the middle of the pack and toward the league’s upper echelon.

That means, on paper, there are not many starting jobs to be won. At most offensive positions, normal 53-man roster thresholds are met or nearly so before true competition for spots enters the equation.

And yet, there are many roles to be solidified and at least a handful of roster spots up for grabs as the Broncos near their reporting dates for rookies (July 22) and veterans (July 28). Here’s an early look at a projected offensive two-deep, with the obvious caveat that this represents a starting point ahead of camp’s outset.

Quarterback

1. Bo Nix

2. Sam Ehlinger

Starting point: The reality of life in the NFL: Much of what the Broncos want to accomplish in 2026 rests on Nix not just staying healthy for all or most of the season, but also on his game taking another step forward in Year 3, as well. Nix has a talented defense and an experienced, improved offense around him, plus Payton’s leadership and a new play-caller in Webb. He had played in every NFL game over his first two seasons until fracturing his ankle in the divisional round in January. Two operations and six months of combined rehab later, Nix and the Broncos say there’s no reason for concern. If they’re right, Denver’s in great shape. If the ankle issue lingers or comes back, that would be trouble.

Projecting Ehlinger as the No. 2 is perhaps a bit out on a limb considering Stidham has earned considerable equity with the front office, staff and locker room as he enters his fourth season with the Broncos. The notion that Ehlinger could beat him out is not rooted in Stidham’s performance in the AFC title game, but rather just in the staff’s excitement about Ehlinger a year ago, his mobility and a potential jump in performance in his second summer with the Broncos. Whoever ends up No. 3 might have the chance to be a No. 2 somewhere else at the end of August. That makes it basically a straight-out battle to be Nix’s primary backup. If there’s a way for Denver to keep all three — especially if the Broncos can get one to the practice squad to start the season as they did with Ehlinger last year —the club will almost certainly give it strong consideration.

Running back

1. J.K. Dobbins

2. RJ Harvey

Starting point: Dobbins is adamant he would have played in the Super Bowl after a November Lisfranc injury to his foot. He’s been healthy through Denver’s offseason program and enters camp as the clear lead back. Through 10 weeks last year, he was one of the most efficient runners in the NFL. The pecking order after him is likely to shape up more by role than anything else, unless Harvey takes a major leap in Year 2 – which, of course, the Broncos would more than welcome.

Harvey enters camp as the favorite to be second in terms of playing time and is the kind of player who, in Payton offenses, previously has racked up touches in the passing game. Rookie Jonah Coleman, a talented pass protector in college, looks like Denver’s third-down back right off the bat. That����ap a cleaner-fitting trio than last year if Coleman earns that trust right out of the gate. One interesting wrinkle here is what would happen if Dobbins were to get hurt. There’s a world in which Coleman might be a better lead back than Harvey; Harvey’s role stays about the same or expands some, and somebody else – a practice-squad Tyler Badie, perhaps — becomes the third-down back. The Broncos, naturally, hope Dobbins plays his first healthy season in the NFL and as long as the group stays on the field, it has the makings of a dynamic, dangerous trio.

Wide receiver

1. Courtland Sutton

2. Pat Bryant

1. Jaylen Waddle

2. Marvin Mims Jr.

1. Troy Franklin

2. Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Starting point: Waddle’s arrival changes this room in ways big and small. It goes from being one of the Broncos have seemed to like better than the industry does over the past couple of years to one that has a chance to be among the most dangerous in the NFL. They’ve got a dynamic pairing in Waddle and Sutton atop the room and they’ve got a myriad of skill sets behind. One of the most interesting questions of training camp is what the pecking order will look like behind Sutton and Waddle. The answer, at least early in the season, might be as simple as what the game situation is. The Broncos can mix up looks with Mims and even play him out of the backfield. They can be fast with Franklin on the field alongside Waddle. Or they can be big and physical with Bryant as the third man. One thing is certain: Denver is shaping up to play a ton of three-receiver and even four-receiver sets in Webb’s first season as a play-caller. The group is a clear strength on offense with Waddle’s addition.

Tight end

1. Adam Trautman

2. Evan Engram

Starting point: Engram, assuming good health, should easily lead the room in receiving targets again in 2026. Trautman, though, outpaced Engram in playing time by a wide margin last year (57% to 40%) and it would be a surprise if he didn’t do so again this fall. They are different types of players — Trautman more blocking with a bit of pass-catching ability and Engram essentially a receiver who is referred to as a tight end — but they are similar in the sense that Denver could have tried to replace either on the free agent market this spring and ultimately did not. What the Broncos did do, however, is use a pair of Day 3 draft picks to add players to the room who look like potential longer-term replacements. Fifth-rounder Justin Joly fits the Engram mold while seventh-rounder Dallen Bentley is more Trautman-esque. Payton spoke highly of second-year man Caleb Lohner and Denver also has Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull back on the 90-man roster for training camp. One of the positions where there are perhaps multiple 53-man roster spots up for grabs and where the Broncos hope the future of the position starts to come into focus this fall.

Offensive line

LT: Garrett Bolles, Matt Peart

LG: Ben Powers, Kage Casey

C: Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth

RG: Quinn Meinerz, Alex Palczewski

RT:  Mike McGlinchey, Frank Crum

Starting point: The front five is set to return for a rare third straight season together unless a surprise trade pops up, injury hits or somebody like Palczewski can cleanly beat out Powers for a starting job. Above, the second line is essentially only placeholders except for Forsyth, who will have to fend off veteran Michael Deiter to retain his hold on the No. 2 center job.  “Palcho” could end up as the primary backup at both guard spots and right tackle. Or, he could be the next man in at guard and Crum at tackle, regardless of side. Either way, it����ap pretty easy to find nine for the 53-man roster here: The starters plus Palcho, Crum, Casey (a fourth-round pick this spring) and Forsyth. Denver not only has one of the best starting groups in football but also some proven, functional depth. It����ap not just going to be a task to make the 53 for anybody on the outside of that nine looking in, but there will be competition for practice squad spots, too. That could come down to choosing between veterans like Peart, Deiter and Calvin Throckmorton and younger players like rookie tackles Tyler Miller and Gavin Ortega or Nick Gargiulo.

On the roster (12): Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Michael Bandy, Hakeem Butler, Kolbe Katsis, Dane Key, Joseph Manjack IV and Cameron Ross

How many on the 53? Five as a baseline. Six or even seven would be unlikely but not impossible.

Most impactful offseason move: Trading for Jaylen Waddle

This wasn’t just the most impactful roster move of the offseason for the Broncos’ receivers. It was the move of the offseason for the franchise. Combine Waddle’s addition with Davis Webb taking over the playcalling duties and you’ve got most of what Denver is hoping will elevate its offense this fall. Waddle was expensive — the Broncos gave up a first-round pick and more — but he’s also exactly what this unit needed. He can play from the slot or outside; he’s the kind of explosive playmaker Denver has lacked for years, and he’s got a mentality that already seems to fit Payton’s mold. Webb himself, in June, likened the acquisition to his time in Buffalo, when the Bills landed Stefon Diggs ahead of quarterback Josh Allen’s third pro season. If third-year QB Bo Nix and Waddle have anything like that kind of connection, look out.

Biggest question to answer in camp: Could the receiver room see another trade this summer?

Last spring and summer, the Broncos were adamant they liked their receiver depth and adamant they didn’t need to trade anybody. In the middle of the preseason, though, they got an offer they couldn’t refuse and shipped Devaughn Vele to New Orleans for a fourth-round pick and more. Broncos brass once again say they love their depth and don’t need to trade anybody after acquiring Waddle. They can stick to that, reminded by what it looked like when they were down to a couple of healthy bodies in the postseason. Or they could once again be tempted if the overlapping skill sets of some players — most likely Waddle, Franklin and Mims — make somebody dispensable. Mims is heading into the final year of his rookie deal, while Franklin has this season and 2027 before free agency.

Battle to watch: The quest for targets after Sutton and Waddle

Franklin and Mims are two of the key players in this conversation, as is second-year man Bryant. It����ap not impossible others could get in the mix, too, but that trio is clearly in the running. Franklin had a breakout second season with the Broncos last fall, catching 65 passes for 709 yards and six touchdowns. His 104 targets were second only to Sutton’s 124, well more than third-place Evan Engram (76) and more than double any other receiver (Mims third at 51). From Week 6 onward, though, Bryant closed the gap some. He averaged 4.5 targets per game to Franklin’s six. Mims had a tough time finding consistent playing time, but when injuries hit down the stretch, he turned in big performance after big performance and left Payton after the season swearing, again, that he needed to find more ways to get his multi-talented former second-round pick the ball more. Sutton has averaged 130 targets in two years playing with Nix. Waddle should come close to (or slightly exceed) Sutton’s mark atop the room, though it����ap possible each is slightly below Sutton’s dominant target share over the past two seasons. Either way, figure that if both are healthy, they’re good for well north of 200 targets and perhaps pushing toward 250. In the past two seasons, Denver’s receivers have totaled 351 targets (on 612 attempts in 2025) and 359 targets (on 570 attempts in 2024).

Under the radar: Humphrey

There are names that might be a little bit more fun — the undrafted rookie Ross, for example, made some plays in the offseason program and could be an intriguing camp story if he can keep it rolling into August, as could jumbo-sized UFL summer addition Butler — but that����ap kind of the reason Humphrey gets the nod here. Humphrey’s not that exciting. He’s been shuffled on and off the practice squad here over the years. But he appeared in every game for Denver in the 2023-24 seasons, then seven more last fall after starting the season with the New York Giants. He played 36% of snaps after jumping back into the fold in the middle of the fall. Is he a lock to make the initial 53-man roster out of training camp? Hardly. But is Humphrey likely to make an impact in some way, shape or form for Denver this fall? There’s no reason to bet against it at this point.

They have very few starting spots up for grabs, at least on paper.

They have, relatively speaking, very few question marks.

And yet, Sean Payton’s fourth team will have plenty of competition throughout the early portions of the summer and into training camp.

There are, by The Post����ap count, somewhere in the neighborhood of seven to nine spots up for grabs on the 53-man roster at the moment and a pool of perhaps 18-20 players vying for them. Those counts come before any of the inevitable injuries that will crop up between now and the end of August.

This early projection comes before any potential substantial roster move, of which Denver has typically made at least one between OTAs and the start of the regular season. A year ago, for example, the Broncos signed running back J.K. Dobbins in June and then traded receiver Devaughn Vele in August.

It also comes before any big training camp surprise, a young player who makes a strong push or a veteran who suddenly appears out of gas.

Before Payton’s team starts OTAs on Tuesday, here’s an early attempt at a 53-man roster projection. The point of this exercise at this calendar waypoint is merely to mark a starting point and to attempt to determine where the most uncertainty — and opportunity — lies on the Broncos’ current 91-man roster.

Finding 53 among this group requires tough decisions even before any actual football activity has started. There are players that were difficult to leave off the roster and some groups — offensive and defensive lines, in particular — that are deep enough to impact other spots. Payton and general manager George Paton have shown time and time again they value quality players in the trenches.

There are a handful of veterans who could theoretically be considered cut candidates because of a combination of depth and salary, like tight end Evan Engram ($14.14 million cap hit) and left guard Ben Powers ($18.16 million). Denver could trade a veteran or quality player from a position of strength to help fortify elsewhere or accumulate future draft capital.

Among the players who look from this distance likely to exist somewhere around the bubble, however, none has a bigger cap number than offensive lineman Matt Peart����ap $2.39 million or more guaranteed money than quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s $1 million.

So, away we go. Players in the bubble conversation, both above and below the roster cut in this exercise, are in italics.

OFFENSE (25)

Quarterback (3)

Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger

The question, really, with Denver’s quarterbacks is this: two or three? Denver started last year with two when Ehlinger agreed to start the season on the practice squad. If a similar scenario plays out — he’s got $1 million guaranteed — then the Broncos could well take two. Denver values Ehlinger, though, and he’s going to get a bunch of work in OTAs and likely minicamp after Bo Nix had a second ankle procedure last month. This makes for tougher calls at other spots on a deep roster, but let����ap not mess around with the quarterback position when you’ve got players you like. If nothing else, using three as the starting point in this exercise ups the difficulty level the rest of the way.

Running back (4)

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman and Adam Prentice (FB) 

Also: Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie and Cody Schrader

Coleman’s selection in the fourth round changes the complexion here by quite a bit. He’s a potential third-down back right away and the Broncos are high on him if he’s needed beyond that early on. With a cleaner-fitting trio of backs, McLaughlin and Badie both have a tough road to the roster. If Denver wanted four plus Prentice, McLaughlin probably heads into the summer with the lead.

Tight end (4)

Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Justin Joly and Caleb Lohner 

Also: Dallen Bentley, Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull

One of the toughest projections. Lohner gets the nod for the moment after Payton raved about him earlier in May, especially because Payton was particularly impressed with Lohner’s physicality and blocking. This, like many bubble decisions, could come down to who Denver thinks it can get to the practice squad between Lohner and Bentley, the No. 256 overall pick in April. With a bounce-back summer, Adkins could re-establish himself as a key role player. He could end up competing for a spot with Prentice, though, as much as it seems he could play some fullback; the Broncos just haven’t asked him to do it much so far in his career.

Wide receiver (5)

Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr.

Also: Michael Bandy, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Michael Woods, Cam Ross, Kolbie Katsis, Joseph Manjack and Dane Key

Assuming no trades, it����ap hard to see how anybody besides the top five makes the initial 53-man roster. Waddle was the Broncos’ big offseason splash and, though he will impact playing time for the rest of the room, Denver’s brass has been consistent in saying they’re not looking to move on from any of the regulars. Bandy and Humphrey are no strangers to starting the season on a practice squad and eventually seeing time on the 53-man roster. It’ll be interesting to see if an undrafted rookie like Ross can make the Broncos think twice about going status quo, but that����ap a tall task.

Offensive line (9)

Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, Kage Casey and Alex Forsyth 

Also: Matt Peart, Nick Gargiulo, Calvin Throckmorton, Tyler Miller, Gavin Ortega, Michael Dieter and Nash Jones

The Broncos have enviable depth on their offensive line, but, like with wide receiver, the roles are defined enough that it����ap difficult to imagine a ton of wiggle room. Palczewski and Crum are valued depth and development pieces and Casey, a fourth-round pick, joins them in a similar mold. Forsyth has been the clear No. 2 center for two seasons behind Wattenberg. That����ap nine. Peart and Throckmorton are veterans who have stepped in and played, while Gargiulo showed some promise before a bad preseason knee injury last summer. Miller and Ortega are interesting undrafted rookies but, outside a rash of injuries or major training camp push, it����ap reasonable to think they’re ticketed for the practice squad.

DEFENSE (25)

Defensive line (7)

Zach Allen, DJ Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwauzurike, Tyler Onyedim, Sai’Vion Jones and Jordan Jackson

Also: Matt Henningsen, Jordan Miller and Kristian Williams

A key part of the rationale for going heavy here again: Each of the past two years the roster cutdown has passed and Payton and Paton have made it clear that Jackson made the 53-man roster easily. We’ll bet for now that the same ends up happening this summer. They might decide they just have to have a player at another position. Maybe somebody else is a surprise cut, though among this group 2025 third-rounder Sai’Vion Jones is the only real candidate and that would be a major surprise given they traded up for him and also liked his development last season. So, Payton and Paton instead stick to their principles and go heavy up front once again.

Outside linebacker (4)

Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Que Robinson and Dondrea Tillman

Also: Drew Sanders, Johnny Walker and Dasan McCullough

The first three are absolute locks and there’s not much doubt about Tillman, either. The going gets tough from there. Health has been a major obstacle for Sanders, but if he plays all summer, he’ll probably be productive enough to make the roster. The numbers just get tight elsewhere in a hurry. Keeping four here is really 4.5 in a way because Jonah Elliss can play on the edge if needed, plus a deep defensive line group can help take some work off the edge guys against heavier teams. Sanders is a training camp wild card, though.

Inside linebacker (4)

Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Jonah Elliss and Red Murdock 

Also: Jordan Turner, Karene Reid, Levelle Bailey, Taurean York

Once again, this is about roster management and who makes it to the practice squad after the top three. Murdock was Mr. Irrelevant in the draft at No. 257, but forced 17 fumbles in his college career at Buffalo. Turner’s got real promise, so it was not an easy call to leave him off. Reid was a special teams regular after making the initial roster as an undrafted rookie last year, but this is maybe a tougher roster to make despite the release of Dre Greenlaw earlier this spring.

Cornerback (5)

Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine

Also: Reese Taylor, Jaden Robinson, Brent Austin, Ahmari Harvey and Paul Manning

Pretty straightforward here. The major storyline is more about beyond 2026, as McMillian and Moss are both entering contract years. For now, though, this is one of the deepest and most talented cornerback groups in football. Taylor has been a regular on the practice squad and was promoted to the active roster from mid-November on last year. The only question is if new secondary coaches Rob Livingston and Doug Belk see any of the personnel differently than Jim Leonhard and Addison Lynch previously.

Safety (5)

Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, Miles Scott and JL Skinner

Also: Tycen Anderson and Parker Robertson

There will be competition across multiple position groups based on special teams output. You can put Skinner, Anderson, Scott, Taylor, Turner, Reid, Sanders and more all into that group. The Broncos gave Anderson $650,000 guaranteed in part to be a key special teams player, so he might well make it. But over who? That signing was before Denver drafted Scott. Skinner is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is at a critical point in his career. The way coaches have talked about Key this offseason, he feels like the early favorite to replace P.J. Locke as the No. 3 safety. Denver signed Sam Franklin and gave him $1.34 million in guarantees last year, then cut him in August.

SPECIALIST (3)

PK Wil Lutz, P Jeremy Crawshaw and LS Mitch Fraboni

Also: LS Luke Basso

Not much mystery here. The Broncos signed the rookie Basso as summer competition, but Fraboni’s been solid and is under contract through 2027.

They covered everything in Barron’s first NFL offseason. But in particular, Blake recounted in October that the recent Broncos first-round draftee wanted to polish his technique at inside cornerback — where Denver ended up sticking him in a training camp competition.

“I think he saw,” Blake said last fall, “that they saw him in that exact light.”

The way the Broncos see Barron in his second NFL offseason, now, has greater ramifications than his own individual future. Despite a shaky rookie year, the 2024 Texas All-American carries too much natural talent in both his limbs and his mind to stay off the field. And Barron’s development through OTAs, minicamp and later training camp will shape one of the organization’s key short-term questions: should the Broncos pay CB2 Riley Moss or nickel Ja’Quan McMillian?

Both are entering contract years, with 2023 third-round pick Moss on the final year of his rookie deal and former undrafted grinder McMillian playing 2026 on a one-year tender. Denver, of course, already has former Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II on a long-term deal that’s set to see its cap hit increase each year through 2029. And with Barron waiting in the wings, the Broncos are approaching an unmistakable reality in their cornerback room come training camp.

“At some point, they’re gonna be like, ‘Look, we can’t pay three of ‘em,'” one NFL agent told The Denver Post.

This is not an actual issue. More of a decision. The Broncos drafted Barron in the first round in 2025 because he was the best player left on their board —  a “luxury” pick, as former defensive-passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard told The Post earlier this spring. At every turn, through a rookie season in which Barron played just 30% of Denver’s regular-season defensive snaps, the Broncos have justified that pick by pointing to the importance of depth at cornerback.

“When you’re looking at today’s NFL with the DBs and corners especially, they’re tough to find in the offseason without, like, large compensation,” head coach Sean Payton said in early May, asked on future plans for the cornerback room. “So, all of that will kinda work its way — sort itself out.”

It’s a great problem to have, as Broncos general manager George Paton said at this year’s NFL Combine. A “champagne problem,” as an agent told The Denver Post. And Barron gives Denver considerable negotiating leverage to offer team-friendly deals to McMillian and Moss, with the threat that the rising second-year cornerback could simply take one of their starting jobs in training camp, thereby decreasing their market heading into next year’s free agency.

“They’ll use their champagne problem of depth,” the agent told The Post, anticipating the Broncos’ potential negotiating strategy, “to scare everybody involved.”

Paton said at February’s combine that the Broncos still believe Barron can play both inside and outside. And after McMillian had a fringe All-Pro-level season at nickel last year, it’d make sense for Denver’s staff to see if Barron can compete through the offseason and training camp with Moss for the Broncos’ CB2 job opposite Surtain. A source with direct knowledge of the Broncos’ thinking told The Post earlier this spring that Payton, indeed, will likely “push” for Barron to compete with Moss there.

That move would make sense, too, in terms of league valuation. The market for nickel cornerbacks, while steadily increasing with inflation, isn’t close to the demand for proven outside cornerbacks. In 2025, the Bears made Kyler Gordon . Given his production, McMillian could reasonably angle for $15 to $17 million annually from Denver — but may not have much leverage with the open market. Multiple league sources who spoke to The Post pointed out that nickel cornerbacks only carry high value for teams that use them often in their schemes.

“If you’re a Cover 2 team that����ap just playing a lot of three linebackers, two outside corners, two safeties, and you only bring in the nickel very rarely, then that guy’s not very valuable,” one agent told The Post.

By contrast, league demand for proven outside corners is skyrocketing. In early March, the Rams traded for Chiefs All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and promptly blew the ceiling off the market with a four-year extension worth $31 million annually. A rising tide will lift all boats, and the Titans handed 27-year-old former Saints corner Alontae Taylor — who produced similarly to Moss in 2025 — a three-year deal at an average base value of $19.3 million.

If the Broncos think Barron can beat out Moss in camp, they could look to trade Moss in August for draft value (similar to rookie receiver Pat Bryant pushing Devaughn Vele in last year’s training camp) or simply roll into the year with him as a high-end backup. If Moss were to start again in 2026 and put together a strong year opposite Surtain, though, he could angle for much more on the open market in 2027 than the Broncos would be willing to pay him (similar to John Franklin-Myers’ departure this offseason).

Of course, both paths turn in the Broncos’ short-term favor, as they’ve set themselves up with a litany of options at one of the NFL’s most important positions heading into a year with Super Bowl expectations. Reasonably, they could also elect to simply not pay or move either McMillian or Moss and simply let the string play out in case of injury — which materialized last year, as the Broncos quickly stabilized when Surtain was hurt for three games midseason.

“When you lose a guy like Pat, and you draft to your strengths, that’s one of the reasons you do that,” Payton said last winter.

Drafting to strengths also creates surplus, though. And if the Broncos simply sit on their stash, it could cost them soon enough.

Yes — the Broncos’ head coach is quick to admit he covets larger receivers.

“It’s not that I don’t like smaller receivers,” Payton said last June, on third-round pick Pat Bryant. “I do. But the bigger receivers that can block and are physical at the line of scrimmage … he showed those traits.”

These Broncos already had so many in their room — Courtland Sutton, Bryant, Troy Franklin — that they traded 6-foot-5 wideout Devaughn Vele to the New Orleans Saints before the start of the 2025 season for draft capital. A year later, though, they’ve brought another batch of undrafted rookies into the fray to compete for a roster spot.

Nebraska’s Dane Key stands 6-foot-2 and a half. TCU’s Joseph Manjack IV is 6-foot-2. Charlotte’s Sean Brown, a complete unknown in the draft process who currently has less than 300 followers on Twitter, measures 6-foot-3. Along with speed receivers Kolbe Katsis and Cam Ross, all will vie for a roster spot in training camp on undrafted free-agent contracts with the Broncos — even as Denver has a wealth of resources in the room following its March trade for Dolphins Pro Bowl receiver Jaylen Waddle.

Regardless of any pre-existing surplus, the Broncos are known among agents across the NFL as a premier destination for undrafted clients. Payton, for a brief time early in his tenure with the New Orleans Saints, would offer scouts cash out of his own pocket for hitting on an undrafted rookie who eventually made the roster. And the organization will take an intriguing crop of 14 undrafted prospects into this weekend’s rookie minicamp, the first time draft picks and tryout players alike will put on pads in Denver.

The Broncos are currently sitting at 93 countable players on the offseason roster, over the offseason limit of 90. They’ll need to cut three names by the start of Friday’s rookie minicamp to meet NFL compliance, and those names could come from this list. For now, here’s a hype meter on each of Denver’s post-draft free-agent rookie class.

The blue-chipper

ILB Taurean York, Texas A&M: The single most productive player Denver signed who didn’t get drafted, York started 39 straight games for the Aggies since his true freshman season and will become the youngest player (at 20 years old) on the Broncos’ current roster. He didn’t get drafted for one key reason: he stands 5-foot-10, and his athleticism — despite running the 40-yard-dash in a solid 4.59 seconds — isn’t explosive enough to overcome size concerns. All that said, though, he has the kind of grit and IQ that Payton and Denver’s entire building loves.

“He doesn’t run a 4.3 … but mentally, that kid plays at a 3.9,” said Scott Stewart, York’s former Temple High coach. “I mean, there is not a scheme out there that he doesn’t understand or won’t understand.”

Two undrafted inside linebackers, Karene Reid and Jordan Turner, became 53-man roster stalwarts by the end of 2025. Don’t be surprised if York’s next.

Athletic upside swings

OT Tyler Miller, Iowa State: The rationale here is pretty simple — tackles with this kind of size don’t just sprout from collegiate fields. Miller stands 6-foot-8-plus, weighs 324, and has above-average arm length at 34.1 inches. Add in a decent 40-yard dash (5.21 seconds) and an explosive broad jump (9 feet, 9 inches) in pre-draft testing, and Miller could easily be the next developmental offensive lineman in the pipeline for coach Zach Strief. He took major strides as a pass-protector in his final season at Iowa State, too

LB/S Dasan McCullough, Nebraska: No clue where he fits on an NFL field, but it could be fun to figure out. In his second season at Oklahoma in 2023, the 6-foot-5 hybrid defender played what the Sooners dubbed the “Cheetah” position — a hybrid linebacker-safety-nickel role tasked with a variety of different assignments against the run and pass. He never quite found a consistent position in college, but showed flashes of potential as both a pass-rusher and dropping back into coverage. Have fun, Vance Joseph.

OL Gavin Ortega, Weber State: Ortega primarily played tackle his last three years at Weber State, and was largely excellent, but will likely shift inside in the NFL due to his height (6-foot-5). His pre-draft testing , and he should have versatility across a variety of different spots on the offensive line, a quality the Broncos love.

WR Cam Ross, Virginia: One of the weirder collegiate careers you’ll see. Ross had 723 yards as a freshman at UConn in 2019, played just five games combined over the next three seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic and injuries, and has played for three schools in the last three years. He caught 53 passes in his final stop at Virginia in 2025, and his speed — a 4.42-second 40-yard dash — made him a return threat on both punts and kicks. The Broncos want another credible returner next to Marvin Mims Jr., so there’s opportunity there.

The Payton-types

WR Dane Key, Nebraska: In what’ll become a notable under-the-radar storyline in training camp, Key is the younger brother of Broncos safety and All-Pro safety Devon Key. He’s got game in his own right, too, with 2,322 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns across four collegiate seasons. Key showcased strong skills as a blocker and decent hands in college, but will need to carve out a role as a trusty possession receiver and special-teamer to have any shot at cracking Denver’s initial 53-man roster.

WR Joseph Manjack IV, TCU: Look at Manjack’s tape back at Houston in 2023, and there’s something here. He racked up 577 yards and six touchdowns in just 10 games as a sophomore, before his production fell off as a junior and he transferred to TCU for a final season. Manjack’s vertical, speed and agility testing are all solid at his 6-foot-2 height, and he’s got the frame and athleticism to earn a long glance in training camp.

WR Sean Brown, Charlotte: Where’d Brown come from? After two quiet seasons at under-the-radar Charlotte, he racked up 35 and 36 catches in each of his last two seasons, respectively. The size is the draw here, but Brown never had much red-zone production in college.

College production is there, but is the upside?

CB Brent Austin, Cal: Finding a roster spot as a cornerback, with the Broncos’ current roster makeup, is probably the toughest task possible for any undrafted newcomer in training camp. Austin, though, surrendered just a 46% catch rate in 2025 at Cal (according to Pro Football Focus) and has at least 10 passes defensed in each of his last two seasons. He’ll likely project as more of an inside corner at 6-foot-11.

CB Ahmari Harvey, Georgia Tech: Harvey actually profiles quite similarly to Austin, allowing a 44% catch rate in his snaps in 2025 and also standing 5-foot-11. His 1.52-second 10-yard split in pre-draft testing, though, suggests better foot speed. Harvey actually also played with Bo Nix at Auburn as a true freshman in 2021, before transferring to Georgia Tech.

The special-team standouts

WR Kolbe Katsis, Northern Arizona: An FCS product, Katsis has top-of-the-line speed, with a 4.43-second 40-yard-dash and 1.52-second 10-yard-split. He was dominant at NAU in 2025, with 1,016 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, and ran back a kickoff for a touchdown. That last point is important, as he’ll likely profile more as a returner. Again, there’s an opportunity to impress special-teams coordinator Darren Rizzi there.

S Parker Robertson, Oklahoma State: Robertson worked his way from a reserve role to a starter across five seasons at Oklahoma State, and his program loyalty and steady improvement would likely endear him to Denver’s staff. He had 8.5 tackles for loss and a couple of picks in 2025, and played consistent special-teams snaps the last three seasons. If he shows more upside on kickoff units than secondary depth options like JL Skinner or Reese Taylor, Robertson could grind his way to a roster spot.

CB William Wright, Tennessee: Similar to Robertson, Wright grinded out five seasons at Tennessee — but never actually graduated to a starting role in the secondary. He had more snaps on special teams, in fact, than on defense across his collegiate career. That’s great versatility, but Wright will need to prove he can cover at an NFL level to have any chance at making his mark in training cmap.

LS Luke Basso, Oregon: Yes — a long-snapper deal. The Broncos currently have veteran Mitchell Fraboni under contract, but here’s some competition. Basso played with Nix at Oregon for two years, and was named second-team All-Big Ten by coaches in 2024 and 2025.

Broncos draft previews
Offense: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line
Defense: Defensive line | Outside linebackers | Inside linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties

Broncos’ in-house offseason moves: Moving Jonah Elliss to inside linebacker

Under contract: Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Que Robinson, Dondrea Tillman, Johnny Walker.

Need scale (1-10): 4. This number is influenced a bit upward in the wake of head coach Sean Payton saying last month that Elliss will get a look inside. Still, Denver’s got an enviable situation at outside linebacker thanks to Bonitto’s continued ascension into one of the NFL’s finest rushers, Cooper’s stalwart presence and the emergence of Robinson as a prime breakout candidate for 2026. Tillman has a knack for finishing and logged a pair of interceptions in 2025, though the Broncos are probably wise to keep him in his current role and not bank on getting a ton more out of him than they already are. He’s one of the best under-the-radar signings of the past handful of years. The Broncos don’t have to draft an edge this year, but it����ap a premium position and Payton and GM George Paton are always on the lookout. It would be foolish to rule out drafting a player at the position.

The Top Five

Arvell Reese, Ohio State

The first big question of the 2026 Draft arrives at No. 2 after the Las Vegas Raiders select QB Fernando Mendoza with the top pick. Does New York Jets GM Darren Mougey — Paton’s former top lieutenant in Denver — like Reese or Texas Tech’s David Bailey better?

They’re each premier talents. Bailey is a more fully formed edge rusher right now, while Reese draws Micah Parsons comparisons for his versatility and ability to make an impact from anywhere. Reese checked into the NFL Combine a shade over 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds and ran 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He won’t turn 21 until the end of training camp. He’s got all the tools.

David Bailey, Texas Tech

Bailey started his career at Stanford and then exploded in 2025 as part of the Red Raiders’ super-talented and highly compensated defensive front. He racked up 14.5 tackles and 19.5 TFLs. He’s exactly what NFL teams look for on the edge. Long, strong, fast and powerful. He checked into the combine at 6-4 and 251 pounds and ran 4.5 in the 40. He should make an impact right from the jump wherever he gets drafted, whether that����ap No. 2 overall to the Jets or elsewhere in the top 10.

Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

No conversation about Bain over the course of the fall and winter would last long before his arm length — or lack thereof — came up. But, man, just watch him play. He can contort his body, he’s powerful and he just finds a way to make life miserable for tackles. He helped power Miami’s terrific season. In recent months, he’s been one of several top draft prospects to train with former Broncos pass-rush consultant B.T. Jordan. Bain shouldn’t have to wait more than 10 picks or so to hear his name called.

T.J. Parker, Clemson

After the top three, there are a number of edge rushers who could populate the first round and the order will depend on what specific teams are looking for. Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell brings pure speed. Mizzou’s Zion Young is powerful. Miami’s bookend to Bain, Akheem Mesidor, is already 25 but is a well-rounded player. Parker is young — he won’t turn 22 until early in the season — and has ideal measurables (6-4 and 263 at the combine). He had just five sacks and 9.5 TFLs as a junior after 11 and 19.5, respectively, in 2024, but the ceiling is high.

Keldrick Faulk, Auburn

Faulk is another young player and he’s got a massive frame at 6-6 and 276. The counting stats took a step back in 2025 when he logged just two sacks and five TFLs in 12 games (he had seven and 11, respectively, the year prior), but Faulk’s got huge upside if he gets in a program where he can develop pass-rush refinement.

Broncos options

R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

A somewhat undersized but fast and explosive edge rusher from Oklahoma who projects to get drafted somewhere in the second-round neighborhood? That might be a little on the nose for the Broncos at No. 62 four years after they selected Nik Bonitto out of OU at No. 64 overall.

Jaishawn Barham, Michigan

Played two years at Maryland and then two at Michigan and finished with a career-best 10 tackles for loss to go along with four sacks in 2025. He’s not a finished product by any means, but the athletic ability at 6-4 and 240 pounds might be worth stashing and developing. He’s not the same as Que Robinson because he played a lot more defensive snaps than Robinson, but similar in the sense that he’d be interesting as a toolsy project in the fourth or fifth round, depending on how or if Denver moves some of its picks around.

Logan Fano, Utah

The Broncos love Utes. They’ve drafted several, from since-traded WR Devaughn Vele and Elliss in 2024 to tight end Caleb Lohner last year. Fano is likely a Day 3 guy and is just the type of player Denver is usually attracted to late. He’s big at 6-5 and 257. He’s powerful but hasn’t put up huge sack numbers. The Broncos have been good at developing pass rush. Fano has most of the rest.

Mason Reiger, Wisconsin

Reiger spent five seasons at Louisville (he missed 2024 with an injury) before transferring to Wisconsin for his final season. He tied his career-high with five sacks last fall and added six tackles for loss. He’s a good athlete and jumped 40 inches vertical and 10-5 broad at the Combine at 6-5 and 251.

Josh Weru, IPP

The Kenyan rusher is a freak athlete. At the HBCU showcase this spring, Weru ran 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and logged a 41-inch vertical at 6-4 and 244 pounds. If you’re talking seventh round, maybe with one of the last two picks of the draft, why not see what you can get out of an athlete like that?

Take a spin around the football internet these days and you will find yourself soaked by a deluge of mock drafts.

Make no mistake, though, NFL front offices do them, too.

Now, they are working with full scouting staffs, extensive visibility into injury and character questions, thousands of human hours of work put into setting the stage for the real thing later this month.

A year ago, perhaps not a single mock draft paired the Broncos and Jahdae Barron at No. 20. That led head coach Sean Payton to describe the wait as Barron fell through the teens toward them and, well, to mock the mocks.

“The mocks that you guys read for the last month, what do you want me to say?” Payton said then. “It����ap embarrassing sometimes, but it����ap entertaining.”

General manager George Paton last week said the Broncos had narrowed their list to seven or eight players they felt would be available at No. 30 before they traded that pick to Miami for star receiver Jaylen Waddle.

Projecting who will be there at No. 62, where Denver’s first pick now sits, is even more wide open.

That won’t stop us. And no apologies for any embarrassment caused, either.

Round 2, Pick No. 62: Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge

In the Post����ap last mock draft, we slid back a few spots from No. 62 and selected RB Jonah Coleman.

This time around, we decided to stick and pick.

The result is decidedly not flashy but also feels like a realistic outcome for the Broncos.

Rutledge is widely considered a Day 2 player and is one of the better interior offensive linemen in this class. He played right guard in college — the Broncos are set there long-term with All-Pro Quinn Meinerz — but should have the versatility to play left or even center. Essentially, if he didn’t win a job over Ben Powers or make Denver reconsider going into the season with Powers on the roster, he’d be in position to slide in in 2027 or potentially back up multiple spots along the interior.

Offensive line, in general, is a sneaky need for the Broncos. They’ve got all five starters back from one of the best fronts in football, but general manager George Paton acknowledged at the combine that the team is wary of aging out too many players at the same time. Plus, all five players at the moment are on premium contracts.

Also considered: The dream was for tight end Eli Stowers to fall, but he went in the middle of the second round. Another tight end option and the pick at No. 62 in our first Post mock draft, Ohio State’s Max Klare, was still on the board. We passed to avoid too much repetition, but he looks like a potential fit in the second round. Also still on the board, among others: Arkansas RB Mike Washington and Mizzou linebacker Josiah Trotter.

Round 4, Pick No. 114: Oregon inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher

Trade: Broncos receive Nos. 114 and 197. Philadelphia receives No. 111.

The fourth rolled around and the Paton, sans ‘Y’, in the Post����ap drafting team emerged. We were hoping to move back from No. 108 to get an extra pick or two and, sure enough, found enough suitors to land a deal we liked. That trade with Green Bay involved moving back to No. 120 and the details are below.

Then the surprise popped up. Philadelphia wanted to move up and we felt good about sliding back just a handful of spots and still getting our guy. What was Howie Roseman thinking?

At No. 114, the pick is Boettcher from a school Denver is quite familiar with. He’s a physical player and a good leader who had 136 tackles for the Ducks in 2025 and contributed each of the past three seasons to one of college football’s stoutest defenses.

Denver’s had an active offseason at ILB, retaining Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, releasing Dre Greenlaw and now moving Jonah Elliss inside. Still, here’s a young player who can be a special teamer early and a potential Singleton replacement down the line.

Round 4, Pick No. 120: Boston College offensive tackle Jude Bowry

Trade: Broncos receive Nos. 120 and 160, Green Bay receives No. 108

Is this draft scintillating enough yet? The Broncos have only drafted one offensive lineman on Day 2 in Paton’s five drafts so far — Meinerz in the 2021 third round — but now are up to two in this draft alone. Again, it����ap not an immediate need, but Bowry checks boxes the Broncos like.

Offensive line coach Zach Strief told The Post last fall, “We love guys that can anchor. If you don’t get bull-rushed in this league, you’re 80% of the way there.”

Bowry’s got good strength and he’s a good athlete. He’s got experience at both left and right tackle in college. Ideally, he doesn’t have to play right away.

In this scenario, though, Denver rolls into the summer with a pipeline that includes Rutledge and Bowry out of this draft, plus Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, and Alex Forsyth. That����ap building to withstand the rigors of an NFL season and also preparing for a future in which the quarterback is no longer on a rookie deal and the front line must be cheaper — but not without some incubation time in one of the league’s best offensive line development programs.

Round 5, Pick No. 160: Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon

Now things are heating up at the offensive skill positions. Teams across football have found ways to identify tight ends on Day 3 that end up making a real impact. Not everybody can land George Kittle, of course, but there are going to be quality tight ends from this draft class that don’t hear their name called until Saturday.

Raridon’s got a chance to be one of them. He’s enormous at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds. He’s got a good blocking foundation to his game — though like most young players, he’s not a finished product — and he’s athletic enough to believe he’s going to be a good receiver, too.

Like it or not, Denver’s going to play Adam Trautman and Evan Engram a ton this fall. The Broncos trust Trautman and they’re hoping to get more from Engram as a receiver in his second season in the offense. Could a rookie tight end blow up that plan? In an outlier scenario, perhaps. More likely, a young player gets a chance to carve out a role as a rookie with the hopes that he blossoms late in the year, if injuries arise or in 2027 and beyond.

Round 5, Pick No. 170: Indiana running back Kaelon Black

Black fits the Payton running back threshold of “short but not small” at 5-foot-9 and 210 pounds. He’s a physical runner who was second on the national champs’ offense in carries at 180 behind Roman Hemby (230). Black averaged 5.6 per carry and, though he wasn’t used at IU in the passing game, he did have 44 catches and six receiving touchdowns his last two years at James Madison.

At Indiana’s pro day, Black reportedly ran 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and jumped 37.5 inches vertical. He’s taken a top-30 visit with the Broncos. Black isn’t a prototypical third-down back, but he could carry some of that load and would be an intriguing fit with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.

Round 6, Pick No. 197: USC safety Bishop Fitzgerald

In looking for safety depth, the Broncos here lean on the connection to USC in new defensive backs coach Doug Belk. Belk had Fitzgerald, an undersized safety, in his room for one year after Fitzgerald transferred from NC State.

Checked into the combine at 5-11 and 201 pounds and ran 4.55 in the 40-yard dash. He produced takeaways throughout his college career, with five interceptions in 2025 for USC and five combined in two seasons at NC State before that.

Denver’s got special teamers galore in its safety room behind starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones. Fitzgerald could add to that and perhaps push toward more.

Round 7, Pick No. 246: North Carolina cornerback Marcus Allen

Round 7, Pick No. 256: Kansas wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson

Round 7, Pick No. 257: IPP outside linebacker Josh Weru

In the seventh round, as Paton said last week, teams are often trying to get a jump on post-draft free agency. If you don’t think you’re going to win a battle for a player or don’t want to risk a bidding war in the post-draft chaos, this is the time.

Denver’s had success recently in the seventh round, finding contributors in WR Devaughn Vele and OL Alex Forsyth, plus players with still-interesting development arcs in OL Nick Gargiulo and TE Caleb Lohner.

In this rendition, a trio of seventh-rounders begins with Allen, who is 6-2, ran 4.5 in the 40, and comes from a program now led by a coach Payton really respects: Bill Belichick.

Denver’s receiver room looks pretty darn full, but Henderson is a receiver plus a special teams asset. He’s a good returner — even if Marvin Mims Jr. doesn’t see an uptick in playing time, NFL teams have realized you need two good ones given the kickoff rule’s evolution — and can handle other duties, too.

Mr. Irrelevant? Try Mr. Freak. Weru hasn’t gone mega-viral like IPP classmate and defensive lineman Uar Bernard, but make no mistake, he’s a ridiculous athlete. The 6-4, 244-pounder reportedly ran 4.45 in the 40 and jumped 41.5 inches vertical at the HBCU showcase. He’s training with Javon Gopie, who also works with Nik Bonitto and trained Que Robinson last spring. Gopie told The Post recently, “I think he’d be a no-brainer fit in (the Broncos’ scheme).”

That was the last time these Broncos made a significant trade, with no in-season deals coming last season. As Denver approaches free agency with quite a few position groups already tied up for 2026, though, that surplus could come into play again for Paton and crew.

The Broncos have several assets at a variety of spots who’d present tantalizing value league-wide, and making a move could help clear up further spending power once free agency hits next week. The club currently sits with about $28 million in estimated cap space. Here are five potential trade chips that Denver could look to dangle on the phones.

Jarrett Stidham, QB

2025 stats: One playoff start, 17-of-31, 133 passing yards, one TD, one INT

Contract status: Expires after 2026

What the Broncos would save in cap room by trading him before June: $6.5 million

Denver will always be Stiddy City for that week in January. Faced with no other choice, the entirety of the Broncos’ fanbase rallied around their cucumber-cool backup quarterback in the AFC Championship Game after Bo Nix’s stunning season-ending injury. The building believed in Stidham, too. He just never quite got a fair shot. A highlight 52-yard bomb to Marvin Mims Jr. against the Patriots was mitigated by a disastrous fumble and a second-half snowstorm.

The Broncos have prioritized Stidham since head coach Sean Payton arrived in 2023, and Stidham has signed two separate two-year deals to stay in Denver as a backup. But NFL teams have poked around Stidham for years — the Patriots, in fact, checked on him before Stidham re-signed in Denver last offseason — and that teams have reached out to the Broncos on a possible Stidham trade.

Payton has said multiple times he feels Stidham could be a starter for several NFL teams; if there is indeed a team that views him that highly on the market, the Broncos could recoup a significant haul for him. This particular NFL Draft class is remarkably light at quarterback, which could further drive up Stidham’s value. Denver would be smart to at least entertain this, if it had a plan to replace Stidham (the Broncos could always look to re-sign QB3 Sam Ehlinger).

Ben Powers, LG

2025 stats: Eight games, 595 snaps, 15 pressures allowed, 2.5% pressure rate, 0 sacks allowed (per Pro Football Focus)

Contract status: Expires after 2026

What the Broncos would save in cap room by trading him before June: $8.4 million

Denver has employed the same starting offensive line for two years in front of Nix, but 2026 could mark a significant shakeup. The 29-year-old Powers is still a valuable asset and was quietly off to one of the best starts of his career in 2025 before a lengthy absence with a biceps tear. But the Broncos now have close to $76 million in total cap tied up to their starting offensive line alone, and all five of Powers, Garett Bolles, Mike McGlinchey, Luke Wattenberg and Quinn Meinerz are tethered to substantial long-term deals.

The Broncos have to get cheaper here, at some point. And Denver indeed has a younger, cheaper option in 26-year-old restricted free agent Alex Palczewski, who filled in capably for Powers for 10 starts in 2025 (and earned a random All-Pro vote for it). The Broncos could slap a right-of-first-refusal tender on Palczewski, a one-year deal worth $3.5 million that would enable Denver to match any team’s offer for him, and work toward a team-friendly long-term deal in the meantime.

Powers’ representation met with Denver last week, but the two sides haven’t spoken since, as of Wednesday. A source said they believe Denver could be pursuing trade partners for Powers. The Broncos also haven’t officially put forth a proposal to restructure Powers’ deal, the source said.

Jonah Elliss, OLB

2025 stats: 13 games, 2.5 sacks, 28 tackles, five QB hits, one forced fumble

Contract status: Expires after 2027

What the Broncos would save in cap room by trading him before June: $1.1 million

This is much less about any financial benefit and more about surplus. Denver is so stacked at outside linebacker that it had to finagle several elevations for fourth-round rookie Que Robinson last year as a fifth OLB on gamedays, and the building is high on Robinson’s potential. The Broncos will almost certainly re-up with reserve Dondrea Tillman on a one-year exclusive-rights deal, and will face the same logjam of depth in 2026.

The interesting name in the mix is Elliss, a 22-year-old 2023 third-round pick who’s flashed big-time pass-rush potential when healthy but has been banged up through his two years in Denver. There’s no greater path to snaps for him behind Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. The Broncos could well look to shift Elliss to inside linebacker, given positional needs, or dangle him as a promising edge rusher with two years left on his rookie deal.

Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian, CB

2025 stats: Moss: 17 games, 80 tackles, 19 passes defensed, one interception; McMillian: 17 games, 56 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, nine passes defensed

Contract status: Both expire after 2026

What the Broncos would save in cap room by trading them before June: $3.7 million (Moss), specifics unclear (McMillian)

The NFL world now has a point-blank baseline on the trade value of quality corners, after the Rams gave up several arms and legs on Wednesday to swing a trade for Chiefs All-Pro Trent McDuffie.

Yes, neither Moss or McMillian have nearly the resume to draw similar capital as McDuffie got. But Kansas City received a first-round pick, a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 draft for McDuffie — and a third-round pick in 2027. The Broncos love having a variety of options to develop at cornerback, but they’ll soon have to make some complicated decisions in their secondary. Moss and McMillian will both hit unrestricted free agency after 2026, and the Broncos wouldn’t love first-round pick Jahdae Barron to sit behind both of them for a second straight season.

This isn’t a likely option. Moss’s camp strongly believes he’ll be back in Denver in 2026, and McMillian is an incredibly valuable asset as the starting nickel in Vance Joseph’s defense. But a route will need to be paved for Barron soon enough.

His overall discontent showed through days after Denver’s AFC Championship Game loss to New England when Payton fired coordinator Joe Lombardi and receivers coach Keary Colbert. Then he lost senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael to Buffalo, too.

Payton promoted quarterbacks coach Davis Webb to offensive coordinator and quality control coach Logan Kilgore to quarterbacks coach. It����ap a changing of the guard in Payton’s offensive meeting room — but regardless of whether Payton or Webb is the primary play-caller in 2026, it����ap still Payton’s offense.

Here’s a look back at the unit����ap 2025 performance and an early look at questions going into what is shaping up to be a fascinating offseason.

Five key offensive numbers

25: Points per game (No. 10 in the NFL)

5.3: Yards per play (T-15 and up slightly from 5.2 in 2024 and 5.0 in 2023)

334: First downs (T-14)

25%: Three-and-out rate (No. 29)

37.8: Percentage of drives ending in an offensive score (No. 20)

High Point

In terms of the regular season, there’s no more emotional high point offensively than scoring 33 fourth-quarter points in a comeback for the ages. There was no more thorough throttling than pouring 44 points on Dallas the very next week. Still, the real high point of the season for Bo Nix and company was a 34-26 win over Green Bay in mid-December. The Broncos entered as home underdogs, but Nix played perhaps the best game of his career to date. He traded blows with Packers quarterback Jordan Love in the first half, then took over in the second. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns and helped bring the Broncos back from a 9-point, third-quarter deficit. It was a magnificent performance and at the time looked like it might provide a blueprint for how Denver could operate efficiently without much in the way of a running game after J.K. Dobbins’ injury a month earlier.

Low Point

Low points are relative during a 14-3 season that featured an 11-game winning streak, but the Broncos offense really did find itself in a funk for the better part of a month in that streak. The epic comeback against the Giants came only after New York shut Denver out for three quarters. The week before that, Denver had 246 yards against the New York Jets in London. After a one-week reprieve against the Cowboys, the Broncos mustered 18 points and 271 yards against a really good Houston defense, but then 10 points and 220 at home in Week 10 against Las Vegas in a 10-7 win. Nix turned the ball over twice. J.K. Dobbins was lost to a Lisfranc injury. Denver scored 20–plus in each of its three regular-season losses. Its three lowest-scoring games came between Weeks 6-10. That����ap when it became clear that, for as good as the team results looked, the Broncos’ offense was a mostly middle-of-the-pack outfit and was capable of playing much worse than that.

Late-game magic

MVP: QB Bo Nix. There’s a compelling argument to be made for first-team All-Pro Garett Bolles and for RB J.K. Dobbins, both for his 10-game production and his impact in absentia. Nix, though, gets the nod for his play but also for his leadership. He isn’t a perfect player and he’s got a lot of work to do to become a clear top-tier quarterback, but he’s a proven clutch performer and engineered countless big moments over the course of the season. It����ap his team and his team was really good in 2025.

Tough Season: TE Evan Engram. It started with a ‘Joker’ meme this spring and high hopes. The end result wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t exactly what anybody really expected, either. Engram, signed with the idea he might finally give the Broncos a dynamic, matchup-exploiting tight end, instead never quite seemed to find a groove. His numbers still ended up better than what Denver’s got from the position in recent years, but 50 catches for 461 and a touchdown also represent basically the worst production in a full season of his nine-year career.

Under the radar: WR Pat Bryant. Denver was roundly questioned for taking Bryant in the third round of the draft, but quickly showed himself to be a player head coach Sean Payton trusts. Bryant played 29 snaps (16.7%) over the first three games, then averaged 55% for the rest of the season. He was part of the reason Denver traded Devaughn Vele in training camp and then released Trent Sherfied during the season. He finished with 31 catches and 378 yards, more rookie-year production than either Troy Franklin in 2024 or Marvin Mims Jr. in 2023, and is Denver’s best perimeter blocker, too.

Broncos conversion rates — Sean Payton era

Run Offense

Five Key Numbers

31.6. Drop in rushing yards per game after J.K. Dobbins was lost for the season to a Lisfranc injury

3.8. Yards per carry after Dobbins’ injury compared to 5.0 before

3.2. Yards per carry for the Broncos in two postseason games

74%. The Broncos’ run block win rate, according to ESPN (No. 4 in the NFL)

62.9%. Percentage of QB Bo Nix’s runs (non-kneeldown and sneak) that were categorized as scrambles. Down considerably from 81.2% in 2024.

The Good

For the first half of the season, the Broncos looked like one of the best in the business at rushing the football. They leaned on their big, veteran offensive line and Dobbins’ steady work. The veteran back was signed for just $2 million in June and turned out to be perhaps the most important single player on the unit over the first 10 games. As Denver slugged it out against the lowly Raiders in Week 10, Dobbins was on pace for 1,300-plus yards. Then he sustained a Lisfranc injury on what he believed to be an illegal hip-drop tackle and the going got tough from there. At their best, the Broncos have a highly paid and talented offensive line that can do everything. They can move people at the point, they can get out in space and they can crease runs between the tackles. They identified a couple of willing perimeter blockers, too. The ingredients were there and it showed… for half a season.

The Bad

The rest of the group just didn’t provide much punch once Dobbins was hurt. RJ Harvey racked up 12 touchdowns in his rookie season and the talent is obvious. He’s terrific with the ball in space and he’s got the potential to be a really good back in his career. The down-in and down-out work in his rookie year, though, was inconsistent. He ripped off a 50-yarder in the Broncos’ opener and touchdowns of 40 and 38 against Dallas and Jacksonville, respectively. Those certainly count. Harvey’s other 143 carries averaged 2.9 yards. In all, Dobbins had 21 rushes of 10-plus yards over 153 carries. The other three — Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie — had 13 runs of 10-plus over 191 carries. Denver rushed for less than 100 yards once in its first nine games with Dobbins and then six times, including the postseason in 10 games he didn’t finish or play in.

The Unknown

There are unknowns across the board. Will Dobbins be back? He’s said he’d like to be, but that will require the sides finding agreement on compensation for a back who is terrific when healthy and also has played more than 10 games once since his rookie year in 2020. How much of a leap can Harvey take in his second season? Will McLaughlin or Badie return or will the Broncos revamp the back part of their room? Just as pertinent, what will the Broncos’ schematic approach look like going forward? Payton nodded to this after the season when he said he’d already been talking with offensive line coach and run game coordinator Zach Strief about the research they had to do this offseason to diagnose a myriad of issues. The Broncos dabbled more in the outside zone world over the past year, but didn’t lean hard into it. Could that change? What influence will Davis Webb’s promotion to offensive coordinator — and potentially into a playcalling role — have?

Broncos RB Production

Pass Offense

Five Key Numbers

613: Pass attempts in the regular season (No. 4 in the NFL)

0.02: Estimated points added per pass play (T-9)

3.6%: Sack percentage for the Broncos (Lowest in the NFL)

139: Yards after catch over expected (No. 23)

21.7%: Blitz rate against (Fourth-lowest in the NFL)

The Good

The Broncos were really, truly elite at exactly one thing offensively this year: Sack avoidance. Between their offensive line, Nix’s mobility and a mandate from Payton on down not to take sacks, Denver did it better than anybody in football. More than propel an offense into the NFL’s upper echelons, though, what the league-low 23 sacks did was mostly help offset too many penalties and too few big plays. Denver was good on third down (10th in the NFL), decent in the red zone (T-13), and pedestrian on a per-drive basis (T-18 in points per drive at 2.05). That����ap partially because the Broncos went long swaths without throwing the ball consistently enough. Late in the season, when they strung together long, grinding drives, it happened because of a short passing game and the ability to stay on schedule. One other bright spot: Courtland Sutton checked in with top-15 marks in receiving yards (1,017; No. 13) and touchdowns (7; T-15).

The Bad

Denver finished the year averaging 6.0 net yards per pass attempt. That tied for 17th and is a far cry from the top two marks in football — New England at 7.7 and Seattle at 7.6, the teams that just happen to be meeting in the Super Bowl. That mark factors in sack yards lost. When looking at just yards per pass attempt, Nix’s 6.4 tied for No. 32 among 42 qualified quarterbacks on the season and checked in well below the NFL average of 7.0. Nix led the NFL in drop-backs (669) and finished tied for 26th in quarterback rating at 87.8. Nix and the Broncos had a particularly tough time throwing the ball in the intermediate part of the field. The second-year quarterback generated a similar quarterback rating throwing short (under 10 air yards) and deep (20-plus), checking in at 91 and 91.4, respectively, according to Next Gen Stats. On throws of 10-19 air yards, though, Nix had a 73.4 rating, threw six interceptions against six touchdowns and completed just 49.6% of passes (4.9% below expected).

The Unknown

Can Nix make a big leap in Year 3? Webb, in training camp, told The Post that he thought the idea of a Year 2 jump for most quarterbacks was overblown.

“Year 3, in my opinion, is more of a player jump,” Webb said then. “That����ap just my experience personally and with my friends. Everybody talks about Year 2, but I think that����ap just the world rushing, like we do with everything. We have seen Year 2 jumps, but Rich Gannon’s was at 36 (years old). So everyone’s different. It depends on the situation you’re in, the village you’re around, the play-caller, your defense playing good, your O-line’s protecting you, guys are catching it and you’re executing. There’s a lot of domino effect there.”

Making that sentiment all the more interesting is Webb’s recent promotion to offensive coordinator and the looming possibility he could end up calling plays or be more involved on that front.

The village matters, too, and the Broncos need to try to upgrade at receiver and tight end. But much of this offseason will be about finding ways to unlock another level for Nix.

Bo Nix Year 1 to Year 2